Harry Potter and the Cursed Child is almost here

hP_cursedThe wait is almost over for the latest Harry Potter book. Harry Potter and the Cursed Child – Parts One & Two (Special Rehearsal Edition Script) will be released at midnight on July 31, 2016.

The book has caused quite a stir and excited fans even formed a “Muggle Mob”. Previous books in the series has special midnight releases at bookstores and Harry Potter and the Cursed Child is no exception. You can look on publisher Scholastic Book’s website for locations of midnight parties. There is even a Harry Potter activity kit and party planner on the site.

Barnes and Noble has been heavily promoting the new book for months. There is a special event page on the website and select stores are hosting Harry Potter Countdown to Midnight parties. Prizes include a chance to win a set of Harry Potter Limited Edition Cover Prints.

The still time to order Harry Potter and the Cursed Child – Parts One & Two online. You can pre-order on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Kobo and iTunes. Amazon is also featuring a special 8 book e-bundle that includes the first seven books plus Harry Potter and the Cursed Child.

The first seven Harry Potter books are also available to read for free as part of the Kindle Unlimited subscription.

Daily Links and Deals: Someone is pretending to be the IT guy at Hogwarts and it’s hilarious

daily_links_1Did you ever imagine what it must be like for the poor guy trying to keep the WiFi going at Hogwarts? Also today, a look at a 911 chat bot, a new French privacy law that may have big implications for parents and more. In Deals, there is a solar-powered bluetooth speaker and an $50 unlocked Blu smartphone.

Daily Links for Monday, May 9, 2016:

Someone is pretending to be the IT guy at Hogwarts and it’s hilarious (Radio Times) This frazzled IT guy doesn’t need Harry Potter to tell him that magic and technology don’t mix.

911bot is a chat bot that could save your life (Techcrunch) This one actually sounds interesting because it includes instructions on what to do until help arrives. since many mobile emergency calls tend to get mis-directed, this could be a lifesafer.

Parents could get sued by their kids for putting baby photos on Facebook (The Next Web) Huh? The French may be carrying privacy just a bit too far.

I just watched an infringing video and it felt pretty bad (Torrent Freak) Interesting opinion piece from the point of view from a non-creator point of view.

Library’s cord cutting puts end to unofficial sports viewing events, spurs petition (Topeka CJOnline) This is a fascinating case study into how you interpret policies. What exactly does promote literacy?

Deals of the Day:

Amazon’s selection of Kindle Daily Deals includes Rescue Road: One Man, Thirty Thousand Dogs, and a Million Miles on the Last Hope Highway by Peter Zheutlin for $1.99.

In Today’s Deals, there is a Eton Rugged Rukus solar-powered, Bluetooth-ready, smartphone-charging speaker and a $50 BLU Advance 4.0 Unlocked Dual SIM Cellphone, 4GB, White.

There is still a promotion on the Fire HD 6 (8GB and 16 GB versions). Right now, you can also get a fie payment option. There are also still deals on pre-owned Fire tablets.

The Barnes and Noble Nook Daily Find is The Witch of Painted Sorrows (Daughters of La Lune Series #1) for $1.99. The Romance Daily Find is Sweetest Scoundrel (Maiden Lane Series #9) by Elizabeth Hoyt for $1.99.

Kobo’s Daily Deal is And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie for $1.99.

The Kobo also has a monthly special 3 for 2 deal features books by  Grace Burrowes. The special runs until the end of month of May.:)

iTunes’ Weekly Bestsellers Under $4 includes A Box of Matches by Nicholson Baker for $1.99.

(A note on Daily Deals: All prices current at the time of posting and subject to change. Most items marked Daily Deals are good for only the day posted.

Many large promotions have discount pricing that is set by the publisher. This usually means that titles can be found at a discount price across most platforms (with iTunes sometimes being the exception). If you have a favorite retailer you like to patronize, check the title on that website. There is a good chance that they will be matching the sale price.)


Daily Links are interesting links I discover as I go about my online day. The frequency and number of links posted depend upon the daily news. I also post other, different links of interest on Twitter, Facebook, and on the Google Plus eBook Evangelist Page.

Weekly Barnes and Noble Promotions

b_and_NBarnes and Noble is running several promotions this week:

Enjoy $10 Off the NOOK by Samsung 7.0 (List Price: $149.99, Sale Price: $139.99)  – This is B & N’s custom branded tablet for reading. It features a 7″ display, 1280 x 800 Pixel Resolution, 216 ppi, 8GB on-board memory, a microSD card slot for up to a 32GB card, front and rear cameras, and an approximately 10 hour battery life.

Exclusive Vinyl: Only at Barnes & Noble! Shop BN.com –  Barnes and Noble is now carrying a large selection of vinyl. This promotion highlights some of the titles that can’t be found anywhere else.

Test Your Harry Potter Knowledge with TRIVIAL PURSUIT: World Of Harry Potter Edition! Shop BN.com – This special HP version of Trivial Pursuit allows fans to test their knowledge of this beloved movie franchise across 6 categories including: The Dark Arts, HOGWARTS™, Magical Spells & Potions, Magical Objects, Magical People and Animals & Magical Creatures. Ages 8+.

Take 30 to 50% Off Classic TV! Shop BN.com – DVD seasons of TV classics includes Fantasy Island, Little House on the Prairie, Hill Street Blues, China Beach and many more.

Take $10 Off Your Purchase of $75 or More With Code BNMARCH10! Shop BN.com – Use the coupon code and save $10, but act fast! This particular deal is only good today, March 2, 2016.

Promotions are for the week ending March 6, 2016.

Daily Links : A new Harry Potter story

From Lifehacker, Spot a boring Kindle Book by looking at popular highlights.

JK Rowling post a new Harry Potter background story on Pottermore, from The Digital Reader

From Teleread, Almost a year with Scribd. Has anything changed with my reading?

Whispersync comes to the UK with 10 freebies, from The Ebook Reader.

From ReadWrite, In exposing followers, Medium fails readers.

As part of Amazon’s Daily Deals, there are 12 award winning Sci-fi deals,  including books by Octavia Butler, Harlan Ellison and John Brunner for only $1.99 each.

Daily Links are interesting links I discover as I go about my online day. The frequency and number of links posted depend upon the daily news.

 

Hey, Muggles! Soon, you can borrow Harry Potter on your Kindle!

Amazon announced today that all 7 Harry Potter books would be available in the Kindles Owners Lending library as of June 19, 2012.

According to Amazon’s press release:

 Owning a Kindle just got a whole lot better for magic-loving Muggles. Starting June 19, Amazon.com (NASDAQ:AMZN) is adding all seven Harry Potter books (in English, French, Italian, German and Spanish) to the Kindle Owners’Lending Library (KOLL). Harry Potter is the all-time best-selling book series in history, andAmazon has purchased an exclusive license from J.K. Rowling’s Pottermore to make the addition of these titles possible. The Kindle Owners’Lending Library is a benefit of Amazon Prime membership—Prime members also enjoy free two-day shipping on millions of items and unlimited streaming of more than 17,000 movies and TV episodes. The Kindle Owners’Lending Libraryhas now grown to over 145,000 books that can be borrowed for free as frequently as once a month, with no due dates.

“We’re absolutely delighted to have reached this agreement with Pottermore. This is the kind of significant investment in the Kindle ecosystem that we’ll continue to make on behalf of Kindle owners,” saidJeff Bezos, founder and CEO ofAmazon.com. “Over a year, borrowing the Harry Potter books, plus a handful of additional titles, can alone be worth more than the$79cost of Prime or a Kindle. The Kindle Owners’Lending Libraryalso has an innovative feature that’s of great benefit for popular titles like Harry Potter – unlimited supply of each title – you never get put on a waiting list.

This is an exclusive deal between Amazon and Pottermore.